The creator of the legendary cyberpunk manga and anime series Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, is a renowned figure in both Japanese and International animation. Apart from Akira, Otomo’s career has been filled with notable achievements; ranging from short films to full-length features that pushed the boundaries of animation and storytelling. However, when it comes to the live-action adaptation of Akira, Otomo expressed his own unique perspective.
Although he ruled himself out from directing the project, he left a key provision that allowed him considerable control over the adaptation. Despite being open to new formats, Otomo placed one important condition on the live-action adaptation since Akira remains a special project for him.
Akira‘s Live-Action Movie: Katsuhiro Otomo’s Condition
After countless trials and failures, in 2017, Taika Waititi was confirmed to be the director of Akira’s live-action adaptation project. However, later in 2019, due to Waititi’s commitment to Marvel Studio, the project was put on hold and since then not many updates have been provided.
Amid the growing anticipation about whether the project would be picked up again or not, it’s important to look back to an interview with Akira’s creator Katsuhiro Otomo to understand his perspective on this future live-action project.
In this interview conducted by Ollie Barder via Forbes, Otomo shared that despite not being involved in directing the live-action adaptation of Akira, he would allow it to move forward under one important condition: he must have the final say in approving the screenplay. As he stated,
I am generally okay with whatever they want to do with it. However, I did give one major condition to a live-action version and that is that I had to check and approve the scenario.
Otomo’s statement reflects his deeper understanding of how adaptations should be handled. While he has stepped back from directing, his approval of the screenplay ensures that the live-action version will stay true to the spirit of Akira.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Vision for Adapting Akira Manga to Live-Action
Katsuhiro Otomo explained that films often have more creative freedom when adapting novels, but with manga, the visuals are already so specific that it makes it harder for filmmakers to deviate from the original material. However, despite the challenges, Otomo believes that staying true to the manga would be counterproductive in terms of Akira, as he remarked,
Personally, I think being entirely bound to the original manga of something like Akira would not make any sense as a movie. As for what I would do in terms of adapting Akira into my own live-action movie, I really don’t want to do that. I would much rather do something entirely new and separate.
Although the live-action would be quite different from the original Akira manga, with a creator as influential as Otomo keeping a watchful eye on the adaptation, the legacy of Akira is secure in the annals of anime history.
Otomo has worked on various projects that expanded his influence in the anime world. One of these was the 1999 CG animated short film Gundam Mission to the Rise. This project, made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Gundam franchise, showed Otomo’s capability to work across different genres.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s legacy extends far beyond Akira; whether as a mangaka, animator, or director. Thus, while he may be done with Akira in terms of personal involvement, his condition for the live-action adaptation ensures that his vision will continue to shape how the story is brought to life for a new generation.
Akira is currently available to watch and read on Crunchyroll and Kodansha, Respectively.
